Cisco certification is said to be "the most prestigious and one of the most popular certifications today"; I am not a certification cognoscente, but it doesn't surprise me that Cisco has that reputation. One reason is likely to be that, unlike Novell, Cisco designed its courses to provide broad internet working expertise rather than product-specific solutions. Of course, the content of their courses is built around Cisco products, but not to the exclusion of other solutions.

Anne Martinez has added to the certification literature a useful title that is not in the usual how-to-pass-tests mould. Instead she focuses on what kinds of certification is offered by Cisco, how to choose the most suitable, available resources for study, and cost considerations.

There are eleven certifications offered by Cisco, ranging from a Cisco Certified Network Associate through to a Certified Cisco Systems Instructor. In an introductory chapter the author briefly describes the various certifications, and then puts them in context using an FAQ format. It works well and covers the kinds of things that prospective clients, or even prospective entrants to the networking industry, will want to know. She then moves on to a more detailed description of the various certifications, including the experiences of some participants and an idea of costs and time.

The book is written for an American audience, and some of the detail needs to be translated, so to speak, for the Australian context. Discussions on course costing, for example, do not have direct relevance for Australian readers, but the discussion will point to the kind of enquiries they need to make. Even so, the price makes this
title good value.

A very good chapter, Study Secrets, deals with learning how to learn. Adult learners have "educational circumstances [that] are significantly different from what they were when [they] were in high school or college". The chapter is just over thirty pages, but packs in some good advice (and at the same time puts a few myths to bed). That is followed by a helpful chapter, All About Cisco Tests; the information is practical and describes the way in which tests are set up. It also has the contact telephone numbers (including the one for Australia) for registration, and the addresses (including one for Australia) where Lab exams are conducted.

An appendix lists Cisco certification resources with addresses, phone numbers and URLs. Four Cisco certified training partners are listed for Australia - all in Sydney, but check http://www.cisco.com for the most recent information.

This is a useful resource for anyone even thinking about Cisco certification and deserves a place in libraries. Human resource people should have it on hand to help advise employees about the ins and outs of this kind of qualification.

Anne Martinez: Get Cisco Certified & Get Ahead ISBN 0-07-135285-9 Published by McGraw-Hill, 396 pp. RRP $39.95